Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children

November 15, 1998
Urging parents to become "benevolent dictators," psychologist Rosemond advocates, among other things, that parents should put their marriage first, children should not be paid for helping with routine household chores, and toys should be kept to a bare minimum. Ironically, he blames parenting books for leading society to become too child-centered, resulting in children who are no longer self-reliant. In a logical, well-articulated manner, Rosemond devotes each tape side to a single concept such as teaching responsibility or asserting parental authority. Many examples are provided, making this a practical rather than philosophical reference. Although his ideas seem at first impractical or old-fashioned, Rosemond's thorough explanations, real-life examples, and calm delivery make this a valuable resource for parents of both young and older children. Because parenting material is always popular, this will be useful in any collection serving adult populations.--Susan McCaffrey, Haslett H.S., MI